Ciao People,

It’s been a while since last time I wrote.

In this post I will talk about what I did during my last 5-6 months, describing my current situation with my job and how I am still managing to keep myself safe, which I hope I could give useful information for everyone still worried about going to work.

Not much has happened since my last post.
Despite the situation here being slightly improved compared to before, we are still facing the pandemic condition without any cure yet.

Me and my girlfriend Abi are still trying to avoid any sort of meeting from other people, except on special occasions like work or shopping and we always keep distance and wear a mask.

The only recent change is regarding my job as Runner.
It has been a long time since I worked on set, and with lockdown, I thought to say forever goodbye to my job.
Luckily for me, during the beginning of August, after me and Abi stopped shielding into our house and I had the chance to join a Diary service called Just Runners, a sort of Agency who is involved mostly in Commercial jobs, but also in TV and web.
So since August I had the opportunity to work in a few different productions, gaining more credits and more experiences.

Despite the world of entertainment is still facing many issues, my career is taking a positive step because working on commercials helped me to get in few more high budget productions that allowed me to meet more people engaging into my job, most especially with Assistant Directors and Producers, both jobs I am willing to be more involved with.

Working in commercials during COVID time is also helping me to pay my essential; unfortunately my furlough ended recently and sometimes I am still struggling with money.
So working on a short format video with a professional and organised team than pay much more than regular productions is great, besides, knowing that I get paid some extra like overtime, I feel much more motivated on doing my best.

Sure, that doesn’t change the fact that is much tougher compare to before:
I am now in charge of talking with radio despite I still have to get better both on talking and listening; I am working nonstop and in some situation it happen to skip Breakfast or Lunch and, for safety reason, we must distancing each other, keep areas clean and we must wear face mask all the time.

Of course I have nothing against the safety protocol in order to avoid COVID, it helps me and Abi to be safe.
But of course there are some disadvantages nowadays, it can be about wearing the mask or keeping good hygiene or having mental issues.

The issue of wearing a mask is not only regarding the breathing, but it can also be on your view.
If you wear glasses, you might find yourself in a situation where your lenses get foggy, with the mask this situation is much more frequent, which is a really big distraction during my shift.
I make sure to keep my mask completely sealed in order that no air is reaching my glasses.

Personal hygiene has become a priority since the COVID started, so I am much more in charge of keeping myself and the others clean.
I make sure to always bring with me some hand gel and try to distribute to the crew when needed.
I also make sure to clean surfaces, catering tables and water dispensers.
Every time I come back home from work, I always have a proper shower first and sanitise all equipment I brought with me such as mobile, wallet, keys, etc.

We’ve all been in lockdown, and for a while we haven’t been doing much except keep ourselves busy, and staying at home keeps us safe.
So returning to work despite the worst is still there can be mentally challenging.
I am always trying to do as much as I can on my shifts, not only to do a great job, but also to keep myself distracted from negative thoughts.
Plus I always keep in mind that until I respect the rules, I will have less chances to get the virus.
For sure not many of our colleagues are following this protocol.
Always remind them that everyone needs to respect this protocol in order to keep everyone safe.

It is a hard time for everyone, but I want to remind everyone who is reading this that everything might come to an end, and so it will be this virus.
Even if the job is more difficult nowadays, in my opinion is also much more satisfying and, as people, we also managed to get used to it and one day we can describe this event as a step to make things much easier in future.

I conclude my post sharing to you some links who might be more useful than my words:

For mental issue support:
https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/covid-19-help-advice/mental-wellbeing/

For general help in production:
https://bectu.org.uk/get-support/

Screenskills Coronavirus basic awareness on production training:
https://www.screenskills.com/online-learning/learning-modules/coronavirus-basic-awareness-on-production-training/

Grazie and Stay Safe